Potential buy but will he fail his vetting?

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Nickyhorse89

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Hi guys,

I've found a lovely horse who ticks all the right boxes for me, the only issue is he's developed a dry cough. He only seems to cough when in work, fine in the stable. Coughs a couple of times at the beginning when ridden then fine for the rest of the time.

Waited a week and went back to see him. Took him out hacking and he cantered and trotted up hills, breathing fine, no coughs. Took him into the school and started working him in an outline, 1 cough.

Do you think he'll fail a 5 stage vetting? As he nose is clear and after work his breathing is fine. It seems like it's a irritation from either his hay or the cold?

Thanks in advance xx
 
The vet should certainly reference it - but only you can decide if it is a "fail" or not. These days vets do tend to find something they flag up to the purchaser pretty much every time. But you can then decide if it is a problem for you or not. It might be he might have a touch of RAO or COPD. It doesn't sound like it affects him significantly at the moment - and only you can decide if any potential future management is an issue for you. Like humans - no horse is 100% perfect!
 
My daughters last pony passed a vetting with a cough as her lungs were clear. However she then developed RAO within a few months and needed an inhaler so be prepared. It's not about passing or failing it's about the vet making you aware of their health at that point in time.
Are you prepared to take on a horse that may develop this further and be harder to sell and need medication as well as hay soaking or steaming? If the horse is prefect for you and you are ok in the knowledge of this then take advise at the vetting. Ask the owner for vet history (which their vet can print out for them) and ask them to disclose anything (in writing)
All the best with it
 
i've a sporthorse that does exactly that. he had the tie back operation before i got him. He will cough a few times before every work session and then he's fine. He does low level eventing and we have no problems. I bought him at the time with no vetting as he was cheap, but i know he wouldn't pass one. Some situations set mine off, but the worst he does is a few coughs and he's fine. I feed haylage and avoid dusty hay anywhere, and i don't feed dry feed, its always mixed with sloppy beetpulp. But in all honesty the coughing is the worst he does and then he's fine.
 
Shay said:
The vet should certainly reference it - but only you can decide if it is a "fail" or not. These days vets do tend to find something they flag up to the purchaser pretty much every time. But you can then decide if it is a problem for you or not. It might be he might have a touch of RAO or COPD. It doesn't sound like it affects him significantly at the moment - and only you can decide if any potential future management is an issue for you. Like humans - no horse is 100% perfect!
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This ^^^, if I were selling I would be trying my hardest to eradicate the cough before the vetting, if he is on dry hay or straw then I would have changed it by now and turned him out as much as possible, it will be flagged up and may mean any issues arising later are not covered by insurance, as you are aware of it you need to decide whether to vet him, if you are prepared to manage it in the future or if it will possibly be an issue for the job you have in mind for him.

It would not put me off buying but the price would have to reflect it could be a degenerative condition and require good management.
 
Thanks guys. I want to take him out competing which he has already done. He's out 24/7 but is fed hay.
Owner is really lovely and is happy to wait till the cough clears. She does have him on an inhaler now and his cough did improve last time I saw him.
Just the 'what if' that I'm worried about :(
 
The first thing to do as you know he has been treated and is on meds is to ask to see his veterinary history and if possible to speak to the vet involved, then speak to your own vet once he has seen the history, if your vet is happy then have the horse vetted but if he is concerned then save your money and pull out rather than have him vetted and fail on a known condition, I know he will not fail as such but it will now be an insurance exclusion, as will anything they think is related, and you will have to fund any ongoing treatment.
 
Be aware that it is the sort of thing that can get much worse in certain environments/areas.

An acquaintance bought a similar sounding cob mare.
At theirs she has to be fenced out of the field shelter or she has an attack.
 
If he needs to be on soaked hay or haylage, will it be possible if he is is with other horses? It's a drag soaking hay, especially in the winter, and expensive to have on
Haylage. Something to think about.
 
Nickyhorse89 said:
Hi guys,

I've found a lovely horse who ticks all the right boxes for me, the only issue is he's developed a dry cough. He only seems to cough when in work, fine in the stable. Coughs a couple of times at the beginning when ridden then fine for the rest of the time.

Waited a week and went back to see him. Took him out hacking and he cantered and trotted up hills, breathing fine, no coughs. Took him into the school and started working him in an outline, 1 cough.

Do you think he'll fail a 5 stage vetting? As he nose is clear and after work his breathing is fine. It seems like it's a irritation from either his hay or the cold?

Thanks in advance xx
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Is your potential new horse bedded on shavings by any chance? Are the new shavings lying on top (i.e does the better look white with shavings?) My horse is exactly the same when he has a new bale of shavings in his stable. I'm on part livery in the winter due to him only going out for two hours a day and so I get the YO to muck out for me. I always insist on my shavings mixed in well with the rest of the bed in order to prevent this problem, although I know some people like to see new shavings on top - not sure if this is for aesthetic reasons, or what.

The YO to be fair is very good and mixes it in well but nine times out of ten he will cough when I first start trot from walk. He usually has three coughs in a row, and that's it for the rest of the week, until next time a new bale goes in and then he will cough again (another three times in a row) :) He never coughs whilst in the stable or when ridden other than the reason just given.
 
applecart14 said:
Is your potential new horse bedded on shavings by any chance? Are the new shavings lying on top (i.e does the better look white with shavings?) My horse is exactly the same when he has a new bale of shavings in his stable. I'm on part livery in the winter due to him only going out for two hours a day and so I get the YO to muck out for me. I always insist on my shavings mixed in well with the rest of the bed in order to prevent this problem, although I know some people like to see new shavings on top - not sure if this is for aesthetic reasons, or what.

The YO to be fair is very good and mixes it in well but nine times out of ten he will cough when I first start trot from walk. He usually has three coughs in a row, and that's it for the rest of the week, until next time a new bale goes in and then he will cough again (another three times in a row) :) He never coughs whilst in the stable or when ridden other than the reason just given.
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He's out 24/7 so nothing in his stable, I think there's some shavings banks. Only comes in for his hay. He was worked for a good hour which included hill work and breathing was fine. Just in the school he coughed.
 
Nickyhorse89 said:
He's out 24/7 so nothing in his stable, I think there's some shavings banks. Only comes in for his hay. He was worked for a good hour which included hill work and breathing was fine. Just in the school he coughed.
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I'd be asking the vet to double check breathing/airways, but if it's just in the school and only a couple of coughs then he's fine, I'd be inclined to suspect school dust being kicked up as he's warming up (i.e. moving more stiffly/likely to disturb surface more).
 
It sounds like he might have a mild soft palate issue if he only coughs on exercise, esp. when asked to work in a round outline? Vet will be able to say.
 
ester said:
presumably as he has an inhaler the sellers vet has seen him and said what he thinks is going on?
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Yea she's had the vet out and been advised to use inhaler just to help him shift the cough. Already seen an improvement in a few days so shouldn't take long for him to get over it hopefully.
 
smja said:
I'd be asking the vet to double check breathing/airways, but if it's just in the school and only a couple of coughs then he's fine, I'd be inclined to suspect school dust being kicked up as he's warming up (i.e. moving more stiffly/likely to disturb surface more).
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He'll be vetted prior to purchase so everything will be checked ☺
 
Could you not postpone the vetting by a couple of weeks to give it a chance to clear? I know you are probably desperate to get him home but it would give you a better idea of whether long term issue or directly related to cold !
 
Has the seller said how long he has had the cough? Ie is this a one off thing or is it an ongoing problem that will need managing?
If the former, wait until it's all cleared up before vetting - the last thing you want is respiratory exclusions on an insurance policy.

If however this is an ongoing thing then I'd want to see full veterinary records and evidence of a competition record through the summer if you are wanting to compete.

The likelihood is its nothing serious and easily managed. However there is a chance it could end up very expensive and performance limiting
 
meesha said:
Could you not postpone the vetting by a couple of weeks to give it a chance to clear? I know you are probably desperate to get him home but it would give you a better idea of whether long term issue or directly related to cold !
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Yea I've spoken to the owner about that and she's happy to wait a few weeks and so am I ☺
Already waited nearly 10 years to get a horse so what's a few weeks eh lol
 
ihatework said:
Has the seller said how long he has had the cough? Ie is this a one off thing or is it an ongoing problem that will need managing?
If the former, wait until it's all cleared up before vetting - the last thing you want is respiratory exclusions on an insurance policy.

If however this is an ongoing thing then I'd want to see full veterinary records and evidence of a competition record through the summer if you are wanting to compete.

The likelihood is its nothing serious and easily managed. However there is a chance it could end up very expensive and performance limiting
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It was brought on by another horse on the yard having a chest infection earlier this year. He's had antibiotics and vet is happy his chest has cleared. Had dry for cough for a couple of weeks so vet recommended an inhaler. Chest still clear as owner got the vet out again just in case. No mucus, no wheezing, doesn't cough in his stable when tacking up. It's just when warming up then fine.
 
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